Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa said Tuesday that he is still considering whether or not to enter the 2020 NFL Draft as opposed to returning to Alabama for his senior season.
“I’m still talking with my parents about it. I’m still not too sure. A decision could come tomorrow or I could wait and decide on the 20th of January,” Tua told Cecil Hurt of The Tuscaloosa News. “Whatever God puts in my heart and my parents’ hearts, that will be the right thing.”
Tua suffered a devastating hip injury in a game against Mississippi State last month, but is expected to make a full recovery. However, it’s unlikely that Tua would be able to participate in the NFL combine or other pre-draft workouts if he decides to go. (RELATED: Another Tagovailoa Is Headed To Alabama. Should The Rest Of College Football Just Give Up?)
Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (13) celebrates after a touchdown during the first half of an NCAA football game against the Tennessee Volunteers at Bryant-Denny Stadium. (Credit: Butch Dill-USA TODAY Sports – via Reuters)
Tua said to Hurt:
If I leave, I think the risk is a little higher. That risk would be how far do I drop in the draft. To me, it’s 50-50 between going in the first round and possibly going in the second round. If I go somewhere from first (overall) to around 24th, the money will be set. But let’s say — and I am just picking a number — that I go to the 31st pick. That would be about 9 million dollars. That’s a lot of money, an amount of money I’ve never had before, but it’s not high first-round money and you can never make that money up. They say you can (make it up) on your next contract but money lost is money lost to me.
The legendary Alabama quarterback also conducted an interview with ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit, who came away with the impression that there’s a good chance Tua returns to Tuscaloosa next year. Regardless of what he ultimately decides, It’s clear that Tua is putting a lot of thought into his next move. There’s a lot of pros and cons he has to wade through.
I wish Tua nothing but the best as he prayerfully makes the best decision possible. Roll Tide!